First matter of business, landscaping. Keep it simple. Just clear out the weeds and add some nice sized shrubbery and/or trees near the foundation. Flank the window on the right with two shrubs. Repetition and variety. Choose a few nice looking (but contrasting) varieties and use them over and over around the house.

Second, I agree with the shutter comment. They look particularly silly on the big three pane window.

Third, PORTICO! It looks like the cement pad is in good shape and could support a good sized portico. The one I attached is a good example of traditional styling with clean/modern lines. I think charcoal shutters with a warm yellow door would be modern and fun.

HI -- This house needs an open gable post and beam porch on the full front of the main two story section , w/spindles and railings . A covered deck of sorts with the peak landing in the lower middle of the two top windows. And make it about 8 feet in depth so there is plenty of room for some furniture etc. Bigger shutters as mentioned and painted a stronger color or wood tone to go with the color of the wood beams .Paint the door surround trim a dark grey or a brite white and paint the front door a pretty jewel tone color . Have bigger outdoor light fixtures , lantern style. Then add to your landscaping.

Thanks, this sounds so nice but might be a little more costly that I can do. In doing the shutters in the correct size, I think the the three pane ones might hit the entry? Do you think it would look OK on just the upper windows?

The shutters are fixed so it's not as thought they need to be half as wide as the window (single or triple.) it's about proportion and looking to scale of the facade. The top shutters, ideally, would be half the width of the windows. Use the same on the bottom tripe for consistency.
A portico may not be in your budget now, but it is something you could do over time. Changing the house color would definitely make an impact. And there are a myriad of colors that work with your door.

That sounds better on the shutters, Thanks! Can you give me your color choices?

I looked at your ideabooks, you could do a portico like you downloaded in your alternative housing possibilities-urban. The one near the bottom by Duncan nequette architects. Your door is nice and square, a shed style portico would look appropriate and signal the modernism you have done inside.

The exterior lights should be bigger. Also I can picture some kind of rock bed as part of your landscaping.

I'm running out soon so I'll look at colors tomorrow. But give me some leads... Colors you like , really don't want, and generally how light or dark for the body.

Thanks, not too extreme, earth colors are good, may be a little surprise in the shade on the door?

For modern, I would lose shutters and just beef up the window trim, paint black.

Door placement seems out of balance when looking at up stairs window. To bring into line I would remove the light on the left side of door (when facing house), then add something left of door to balance upper window: modern metal trellis or tall angular black ceramic container (housing a fountain would be wonderful!).

Like another poster's idea for something over door. I would do a very clean lined pergola in black.

Add a much larger light to right of door. Add a kick plate in brushed nickle. Paint the door white.

You definitely need a porch shelter; this link has before and after photos; scroll down to the GRANT addition and see a similar house style. Also the planting beds need to be huge to go with the scale of your house; bring them further into the yard with a nice stone border and keep tall shrubs to the side and scale down the plant sizes towards the porch. Loose the shutters and a bolder paint color and trim will do wonders.Good luck
http://www.exovations.com/Product%20Portfolios/Porches_Sunrooms/porch_photos.htm

Always Designing, that link was amazing. They helped those houses SO much! I don't do much exterior, I learned a ton by looking. Thanks for posting!

Someone made the suggestion of making your trim larger and removing the shutters. It is a very good idea and a modern look. But it can be very costly and you said you were looking for a low cost solution. So I will focus on a modern look through the use of paint color. However, adding a portico at some point will add to your home's aesthetic and provide you and your guests with shelter. If it is in your budget, I would replace the shutters with something wider, as i said earlier.
Instead of seperate colors for the trim and shjutters, i suggest using one color. By combining these elements visually, you make them appear larger, simplify the appearance and it gives a graphic quality to the facade. The graphic quality is made stronger by having a midtone body color and a darker color for the trim and shutters.

While this link does not look like your house, it shows the color values and combinations i mean.

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The colors I chose are from Sherwin Williams.
Body: Bunglehouse Gray sw2845
Trim and shutters: Roycroft Pewter sw2848
Door: Copper Pot sw7709

I liked your idea for "a little surprise" on the door so the door color is a muddied copper orange. A very modern accent and quite an eye grabber.
Finish the look with larger nickel or aluminum lights and house numbers like these.

[houzz=]

Thanks so much, I like where your going with these colors, and I can certainly see that working. I love the Aluminum lights and numbers too and all of this will tie into the interior perfectly. Can't wait to post the end result!

If I have ever seen a house that needs a front porch it is this one. A long, wide, inviting front porch with rocking chairs and an overhead fan. If it isn't in the budget right now try to save until you have it. Lovely home but it looks like it wasn't finished! I don't think a portico would cut it. Loves the house. Congrats on it and enjoy.

Wow - The above comments are great for dealing with the architecture, but you are not making the house more welcome to your guests, only more attractive and perhaps easier to sell.

Your guests arrive and walk up the driveway to your garage doors, nice huh. Then they walk along the path while looking at your neighbor's house to your left, and arrive at the front door, without a potted plant or bench to say hello. And when your guests leave, what is in store for them, a walk back toward the cars parked in the drive, perhaps blocking the end of the walk, so they have to walk on the grass or in the snow.

The solution I suggest is a meandering walk from the street, where they cal probably park and enjoy all the changes you have made to the architecture. Do not put in a straight walk to the door, as if they rolled a carpet out the door to the street, this would encourage rushing to the door and not taking time to appreciate the views. You want to create a welcoming area on their way from their car to your door, Show some personality with a small garden that they weave through on route to your door. This area is where you will join them on there departure to sit and talk briefly about future plans, etc.

As for the plants along the house, there is no foundation to hide, remove them all and, to make mowing easier, plant a bed of groundcover, like pachysandra, and brighten it up with spring bulbs. Always looks neat and tidy.

By the same tact, you might want to develop a welcoming area by the reat door or kitchen door for the kids and their friends. Welcome to my home.

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